Spain adds over 5 GW of new solar projects to 2025 permitting pipeline

In a move that aligns with its national decarbonization goals, Spain has added over 5 GW of new solar projects to its 2025 permitting pipeline. Spain is directly in the crosshairs of climate change, as evidenced by the 2023 drought that ravaged 60% the Spanish countryside. As a result of the clear and present danger that climate change presents, the Spanish energy sector has seen a transformative process that places more importance on the renewable energy sector. In particular, Spain has seen over 5 GW of new solar power projects being permitted in the first eight months of the year.

Spain’s permitting charge will facilitate the expansion of the photovoltaic sector in the country

The aforementioned climate disasters that Spain has endured in recent years can be directly attributed to the effects that the conventional energy sector has had on the planet. The overarching consensus among the nations of the world is that more needs to be done to fast-track the adoption and implementation of the renewable energy sector into the global energy industry.

Leading that charge is Spain. The Spanish government has seen a massive 5 GW of new solar projects being submitted for the relevant permitting approval. Public data has revealed that several regions have been selected to further strengthen the solar capacity in the country, among those are:

• Castilla-La Mancha – 1,924 MW
• Andalusia – 1,088 MW
• Castile and León – 1,040 MW
• Extremadura – 533 MW

The combined capacity of these sites could transform the Spanish energy sector as it attempts to meet the lofty decarbonization ambitions that the nation has self-imposed. To meet those self-imposed targets, Spain must add 21,368 MW of additional solar capacity by the end of the decade, which translates to approximately an annual average of 3,561 MW that needs to be installed over the next few years.

Solar developers in Spain are leading the way with huge projects that promote the renewable energy sector

Spain is not a newcomer to the solar sector. The European nation has been a part of the solar sector since the 1980s and now has welcomed the planned addition of even more solar projects from a wide range of developers.

Among the largest developers in the country that have added significant capacity to the grid are:

• Zelestra – 887 MW
• RPC CPP Investments – 685 MW
• Naturgy – 420 MW
• UKA Iberia – 415 MW
• Jinko – 389 MW

The combined capacity from these developers accounts for 54% of the total MW submitted this year. At the moment, Spain has 35,632 MW of solar capacity in operation, underlining the importance the sector plays in the nation, and will continue to do so thanks to the new solar projects being permitted.

It would be remiss of us not to mention that over the past 12 months, more than 33 GW of solar projects have been submitted for permitting in Spain. This momentum aligns with the global transition of the energy sector away from fossil fuels towards the untapped potential of the renewable energy sector.

Several of Spain’s European neighbors have added massive hybrid solar plants to the grid to strengthen the energy grid in their respective nations.

After stagnation in the sector, the world has finally embraced the potential that solar power presents

Spain is not alone in its proclivity for solar power. Several countries across the world have been breaking ground on substantially large solar projects that underscore the rising importance the untapped resource presents. Solar power has existed for many decades, but a lack of infrastructure and a poor public embrace of the sector have slowed the adoption of the energy resource. Thanks to countries like Spain adding significantly huge amounts of solar power to their grids, the future for the renewable energy sector is looking as bright as the sun that fuels it.